The Dewan Rakyat was adjourned sine die yesterday after sitting for 20 days from March 7, during which it had passed seven bills.
The bills are the Supplementary Supply Bill (2010) 2011, Renewable Energy Bill 2010, Sustainable Energy Development Authority Bill 2010, Food Analysts Bill 2010, Merchant Shipping (Amendment and Extension) Bill 2010, Merchant Shipping (Oil Pollution) (Amendment) Bill 2010 and Arbitration (Amendment) Bill 2010.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman said the government was scrutinising provisions in international instruments on human rights before deciding whether to ratify them.
He added that it was important for Malaysia to be fully prepared to ratify those instruments to ensure they can be implemented within the framework of the country’s law.
“I would like to stress here that it’s not that the government doesn’t want to ratify United Nations treaties including the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, Covenant on Civil and Political Right and the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. It’s just that we are still studying it,” he said in reply to a question from Lim Lip Eng (DAP-Segambut) who wanted the government to state the rationale for its refusal to ratify those treaties. — Bernama